Level 1. Lesson 26. Forte & piano [dynamics]
Woodblock
Difficulty: 
Prior learning: None
Prepare: Present: piano & forte Practice: crotchet rest [za]
Students will explore the concepts of dynamics in music by learning to differentiate between loud (forte) and soft (piano) singing.
Lyrics
Candle burning bright, Twinkling in the night.
We must say goodnight wee light, And gently blow you out.
Questions
- Did we sing softly or loudly when the candle’s flame was small and flickering?
- What do we call the musical term for singing softly?
- What do we call the musical term for singing loudly?
- Remind students that when they sing with their daytime voice, they are using a loud voice, and when they sing with their nighttime voice, they are using a soft voice.
- Begin by turning on a battery-powered candle prop on a table in front of the class.
- Explain that the candle will help them learn to sing softly and loudly in different ways.
- Sing the song to the class in a soft, gentle tone, modelling the quiet piano sound. Once the song is finished, turn off the candle to indicate the end.
- Ask the students to repeat the song with you, using the same soft piano voice. Remind them to sing gently, as if the candle's flame is small and flickering. Sing with the candle on, then turn off the candle at the end.
- Tell the students they were singing the song softly, using a piano voice. Discuss how it felt to sing softly.
- Write the symbol for piano on the board [p]
- Sing the song again, this time in a loud, forte voice. Model a strong, energetic tone, as if the candle is burning brightly and boldly.
- Ask the students to repeat the song with you in a loud, forte voice, keeping their energy up. At the end of the song, turn off the candle.
- Explain that a loud forte voice, like a bright flame, can be more powerful.
- Write the symbol for piano on the board [f]
- Discuss the difference between singing softly (like a small flickering flame) and loudly (like a bright, strong flame).
- Ask the students which version they liked better: loud or soft.
- Encourage them to share why they preferred one and how the different voice levels made them feel. Reinforce the terms piano and forte as part of their understanding of dynamics in music.
Success Criteria
- I can sing the song using a soft or loud voice when asked.
- I can describe how it feels to sing softly and loudly.
- I can use the terms piano and forte to describe dynamics.
Students will explore beats of silence (za) and practice identifying and responding to them in the song Hot Cross Buns.
Lyrics
Hot cross buns, hot cross buns,
One a penny, two a penny, hot cross buns.
Questions
- What is a beat of silence called?
- How many beats of silence are in the first four beats? [one]
- When do we blow to cool the buns in Hot Cross Buns?
- Seat the students in a circle.
- Ask students if they remember what we call a beat of silence in music. Invite answers and guide them to the term za.
- Explain that during Hot Cross Buns, there are beats of silence where they must blow on imaginary buns to cool them down.
- Sing Hot Cross Buns to the class while demonstrating how to hold imaginary buns and blow gently on the beats of silence.
- Lead the class in singing the song together, encouraging them to hold their imaginary buns and blow gently whenever there is a za.
- Monitor the students’ performance, ensuring they sing on the correct beats and blow during the silences. Provide gentle guidance as needed.
Success Criteria
- I can identify and name the beats of silence in the song.
- I can demonstrate the beats of silence by blowing to cool the buns.
- I can sing Hot Cross Buns while responding to the beats of silence.
Students will explore how dynamics (forte and piano) affect a song's feel and decide whether "Bye Baby Bunting" is best sung loudly or softly.
Lyrics
Bye baby bunting, daddy's gone a-hunting,
To get a little rabbit skin to wrap his baby bunting in.
- Introduce "Bye Baby Bunting" to the class. Explain that you will sing it in two ways: softly, like a nighttime voice (piano), and loudly, like a daytime voice (forte).
- First, sing the song softly, modelling the gentle piano sound. Then, ask the students to join in, singing quietly as if they are helping a baby sleep.
- Then, sing the song again loudly, modelling the energetic forte sound. Encourage the students to join in, singing boldly as if they are playing outside.
- Remind students that musicians have a special word for quiet, called piano and another word, called forte when the music is loud.
Success Criteria
- I can sing "Bye Baby Bunting" softly (piano) and loudly (forte).
- I can decide whether the song is best sung loud or soft and explain why.
- I can use the terms piano and forte to describe how the song is sung.
Questions
- What was Daddy going to get?
- What did he need it for?
- How did it feel to sing the song Piano compared to Forte?
Students will explore a piece of music by Franz Joseph Haydn, identify dynamics (loud and soft sounds), and understand what a composer does.
Questions
- How did the music make you feel?
- Was the music loud, soft, or both?
- What are the special terms for loud and soft in music?
- Tell the class they will listen to a short piece of music composed by Franz Joseph Haydn, which includes a surprise at the end.
- Ask the class if anyone knows what a composer does, and encourage students to share their ideas.
- Explain that a composer writes music and that Franz Joseph Haydn lived a long time ago in a country called Austria.
- Ask the students to close their eyes and listen carefully to the music as it plays.
- After the music ends, observe the students’ reactions, highlighting their surprise at the loud tutti chord. Ask how they felt while listening and encourage them to share their emotional responses.
- Ask whether the music was loud or soft, whether it had both loud and soft parts, and where the loud part occurred. Introduce the concept of dynamics and explain that loud and soft sounds have special names in music.
- Remind students that the word piano means soft and forte means loud.
- Explain that a family of instruments played the music called the strings, which includes violins, violas, cellos, and double basses.
Success Criteria
- I can identify whether the music was loud, soft, or had both.
- I can recognise the strings family as the instruments playing the music.
- I can name the special terms for loud and soft in music.
Students will explore beat and movement through a circle game while practising directional awareness and coordination.
- Organise the students into a circle.
- Choose one student to begin as the "patroller" who marches around the outside of the circle.
- Lead the class in singing Circle Round Your Zero, stamping to the beat as they sing.
- Guide the patroller in following the movements at the appropriate points in the song. On "Back, Back Zero," they gently bump backward into the nearest student in the circle.
- On "side, side zero," they gently bump sideways into the same student.
- On "front, front zero," they gently bump frontwise into the same student.
- On "tap your loving zero," they gently push their hands against the other student’s hands.
- Repeat the game with a new student chosen to patrol the circle’s perimeter, ensuring everyone gets a turn.
Success Criteria
- I can sing and stamp to the beat of the song.
- I can follow the directions in the song with the correct movements.
- I can take turns and interact gently with my classmates during the game.
Questions
- How did it feel to match your movements to the song?
- Was it easier to follow the beat by stamping?
- What was your favourite movement in the game?
Lyrics
Circle round your zero. Find your loving zero.
Back, back, zero. Front, front, zero. Tap your loving zero.
Students will practise listening, clapping, and notating rhythmic patterns.
- Introduce the activity by explaining that students will learn to hear and write rhythms.
- Begin with a simple 4-beat rhythm. Clap the pattern and ask the students to echo it back.
- Repeat if needed for clarity.
- After the students echo the rhythm, ask them to write it down in their books [My First Music Writing Book p.19] or print and distribute the worksheet.
- Clap the rhythm again so they can check and revise their work if needed.
- Repeat the process with two more 4-beat rhythms, gradually increasing the complexity if appropriate for the class.
- Collect and review the completed work to assess accuracy.
Questions
- How did listening to the rhythm help you write it down?
- Which part of the activity did you find the easiest or hardest?
- What helped you remember the rhythm before writing it?
Success Criteria
- I can listen carefully to a rhythm and echo it back accurately.
- I can write the rhythm correctly using standard notation.
- I can complete my worksheet or music book with the correct patterns.
ASSESSMENT QUESTIONS
- The student can distinguish between piano and forte.
- The student can respond to rhythmic dictation
- The student can name a beat of silence.
Suggested lessons
Y1. Beat II
Y1. Beat III
Y1. Beat IV